Automatic lock gate



C. ARNE ATIC May s, 1945.

AUTOM LOCK GATE Filed oct. 16. 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 MMM/f W J May 8, 1945. Q ARNE 2,375,739

AUTOMATIC LOCK GATE Filed 0612.716, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E mM/91W @j -2Il which is located Patented May 8, 19.45

Y Yill-N1iris-.o [STAT-Es LPATEN T oFFicE- AUTOMATIC-Leekens r(Jl'iristiam Arne, Seneca, Ill.

auplimionoctber is, 1944 serial No. .558,801 `7 claims. (orsi-+26) .L This invention relates. to .an yautomatic lock Agate and `more particularly to :a floating :gate which `autoIxrat-icallgy .-submerges upon equalization .of the `water leuels on .the fdow stream `and .upvstream sides, and `.vvhich automatically reelevates at the appropriate time. lfFIhe :invention `isiillustrated :in .the drawings, in whichFig. l is a side eleva-tion of a lock system, broken away in the .center;Fig. 2 is a corresponding` plan View; .and Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the upperlock gate. l

.A `As will be seen from the drawings, the lock system comprises `an upper flock gate IIB, a lock basin I I, and a `lower lock gate I.2. The operaf tion ofthe upper lock gate` will .be explained in detail` and is shown in detail; whereas the operation of thelower lock gate is upon the `same principle andis not illustrated in detail.

. The gate comprises Ia vwall -If5 hav-ing rearwardly extending stiiening members `|16 in its upperwportion. In its lower portieriy is` a' float chamber I'I fuid-tight .and filled with .a-ir. The fioat chamber is of such' capacity'jthat .the gateat any stage of the water between high and low water marks, Vand 4with the `water `level -equal `on .both sides, `willrise to an upright position, `being -pivoted upongthe hinge I-B vwhich is transverse `of the stream. The mechanism `for Alowering Athe gate comprises an inlet I9 on the control side of thergate, which, 'inthe instance of the upper gate. is the down-stream side. In the case of the lower gate, the control opening is on the up-stream side of the gate.

In both instances of course the con.. trol is from the lock basin side. The inlet I9 communicates with a primary storage chamber on the up-stream side of the pivot and at a considerable distance above the pivot to provide as large as possible a moment arm to water which may enter it. The opening i3 is located immediately below `the low water mark of the stream. Suitable means are pro vided for closing the opening I9 when the water level in the primary storage chamber has risen to the appropriate point. As illustrated, this comprises a check valve 2| pivoted at 22 and controlled by the float 23 within the storage chamber.

The chamber 20 is connected by a syphon 25 to the secondary storage chamber 26 which is likewise located on the up-stream side of the pivot, but at a point substantially closer to the pivot so that the moment of the water therein contained is substantially less than that in the primary storage chamber, when the gate is in a horizontal i position. "A `vent tube 21 connects the upper `the lock basin II isi-filled down-stream portion of the vent chamber 23 through secondary 'storage rchamber `2 l` and drain 28', `with the upper down-'stream portion of the primary storage chamber 20. A check valve 30 opening outwardly and located at the lowest .point where down-stream water `will recede `from it :serves as anoutlet for the` ventchamber.

The vent 21 is also connected to the float chamber I1 so that the air driven out of chamber 20 may enter the larger chamber I 'I as wellas the secondary storage chamber 26 .andyent vchamber 21,9. Thus, when chambervZIl is filled `with water, `a low air `pressure is built up, andv when .the water is emptied from chamber 29, Lthe rair pressure is restored` to normal. i The roperation of the gate is best illustrated in AIigure 3. With the gate I0- in upright position, to the line 3l `which indicates .a flow water mark` in the river bed. .As Asoonas it reaches the opening t9, water flows into the primary storage chamber andlls it nearly to `the top, at which pointthe float 23 closes the checkv valve 2I. Water continues to rise in `the lock basin iuntil the water 'levels on .the iup-stream .andidown-stream sides. are equal. Ifthe water happens to be at low water mark, this will `occur when. the water ,has `reached the` mar-k 3l. The

water, as shown in: Fig. 3, is Aindicated. `at high water, as shown .by the line 32 the Vwater in the `lock basin will rise .tofan equa-l level. When this occurs there is no longer any down-stream pressure on the gate. The Water in the primary storage chamber has sufficient moand yaccordingly ment to overcome the normal balance of the gate During this discharge, air pressure in the two systems is equalized through the vent tube 21. At the same time the check valve 2l is held closed by the pressure of water above the gate.

The water in secondary storage chamber 26 has a markedly less moment than that in the primary storage chamber and is not sufcient to overcome the natural buoyancy of the gate. Therefore, as soon as the water has run from the primary into the secondary storage chamber, the gate is urged upwardly. While it is possible to adjust the syphon 25 sothat its normal period of discharge will be suitable for the passage of a vessel, it is preferred to hold the gate in its lower position by any form of catch, not shown, which may be manually or mechanically operated to release the gate whenever desired.

At` the appropriate time the gate is released and rises to an upright position by its own buoyancy. As it does so the water runs from the secondary storage chamber 2B through the vent tube 28 to the vent chamber .'9 in which it exerts a moment tending the gate into an upright position. The water remains in the vent chamber 29 until the water level in the lock basin has fallen below the check valve 30, at which time it runs out by gravity. A sill 36 below it acts as a gasket to assistl Water and to,

in the prevention of leakage of the avoid entry of dirt and sediment into or about the hinge.

` The lower lock gate operates in precisely the chamber' located ,hasreached substantially its submerged position.

l 4. A Agate as set forth in claim 1, in which the hydrostatic system includes a primary storage on the up-stream side ofr the l' pivot and a secondary storage "chamber located same manner as the upper gate except that the opening 19a is on This gate, however, must operate in considerably deeper,l water'than the upper gate and the exact positioning of the tanks will not be the same, but the size and position thereof are adapted to perform theY same functions as those inthe upper tank.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom.

What I'claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:`

1. A lock gate comprising agate wall pivotally mounted near'its base and having an internal float chamber norm lly urging the gate to an upright position when submerged, and hydrostatic means Within the gate including a plurality of intercommunicating water storage chambers having an `inlet on the control side of the gate andan outlet substantially below the inlet, said hydrostatic means being proportioned and located to urge the gate from upright position to a' submerged position when the water levels on the two sides of the gate rise to equality, and automatically torestore upright buoyancy in the gate when it has reached its minimum submerged position.

2. A gate as set forth in claim 1, in which the hydrostatic system includes a primary storage chamber located on the up-stream side of the pivot and a secondary storage chamber located the up-stream side thereof.

below the'v primary storage chamber and representing a substantially less moment arm than the primary storage chamber, the primary and secondary storage chambers' are connected' by -a syphon which is charged only when the gate has reached substantially its submerged position, and means are provided for equalizing air pressure in the primary and secondary storage chambers during discharge of the's'yphon. v

5. A gate as set forth in claim 1, inwhich the hydrostatic system includes a primary storage chamber located on the up-stream side of the pivot and a secondary storage chamber located below the primary storage chamber and representing a substantially less moment arm than the primary storage chamber, the primaryand secondary storage chambers 'are connected by a syphonwhich is charged only when the lgate has reached substantially its submerged position, and the secondary storage chamber communicates, when the gate is in upright position, with a vent chamber still lower in the gate and on the downstream side of the pivot.

6. A gate as set forth in claim 1, in which the gate is adapted for operation on the up-stream side of a lock basin and' the opening is on the down-stream side thereof.

7. A gate as set forth in claim 1, in which the gate is adapted for operation on the down-stream end of a lock basin vand the opening is on the up-stream side of the gate.

CHRISTIAN ARNE.

claim 1, in which thel 

